The Hawks are rolling. And they’re not breaking up what’s working. Or so they say.
Atlanta could have entered the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes before the deadline, but one name was never on the table, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
That would be Jalen Johnson. Including him in any potential deal was viewed as a “non-starter.” That tells you everything about how the Hawks see him.
So does this: Johnson, 24, is having a breakout season, averaging 23.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 8.1 assists. First-time All-Star. Franchise cornerstone type stuff. And yes, there’s belief inside the organization that he has even more in him.
MVP-level upside, as Fischer put it.
“That was probably the first time in my career hearing the rumors,” Johnson said. “But I got reassurance … that’s not the plan.”
He just signed a five-year deal. He’s not going anywhere this summer.
Meanwhile, the wins keep coming. Atlanta pushed its streak to 10 games Tuesday, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker going off for a career-high 41 points and nine threes, as chronicled by Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He’s quietly putting together a Most Improved case, now averaging 20.3 points after scoring just 9.4 last season.
In other words, this likely isn’t a team that needs a major shakeup this offseason. It’s one that may have already found something.
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